Unit heater



June 5, 1934. 1 w KNlGHT 1,961,612

UNIT HEATER Filed March 28 1931 [MW/521px Patented June 5, 1934 UNITHEATER Ira W. Knight, Providence, R. I., assignor to General FireExtinguisher Company, Providence, R. I., a corporation of DelawareApplication March 28, 1931, ,Serial No. 525,982

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in unit heaters. More especiallyit has to do with an adjustable nozzle by means of which the velocityand direction of discharge from such a heater 5 may be controlled.

It is usually convenient to install unit heaters in the upper region ofthe space to be heated, and there are several advantages in doing so.One disadvantage, however, from such positioning is that the heated airis primarily directed into the upper region and since its own tendencyis to rise the heating of the lower regions is somewhat delayed afterthe heaters are started and in any event must depend upon more or lessin direct circulation for the ultimate heating effect.

It is a primary object of this invention to pro-- vide for controllingthe direction of discharge from a unit heater to the end that thisdischarge may be initially in a downward direction. It is a furtherobject to simultaneously increase the velocity of discharge andconcentrate its flow as its direction of travel becomes more nearlydownward, thus enhancing the desired propagation of the heated streamand counteracting its 5 natural tendency to rise.

The best mode in which I have contemplated applying the principles ofthis invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, but it isintended that the patent shall cover by suitable expression in theappended claims whatever features of patentable novelty exist in theinvention disclosed.

In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a perspective of a heater embodying the control nozzle;

Figure 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing the nozzle inits wide-open position;

Figure 3 is also a side elevation showing the nozzle in its closedposition;

. Figures 4 and 5 are similar sectional elevations of the nozzle alone;and

Figure 6 is a perspective of a so-called adapter.

Referring more especially to the drawing, the heater shown is of thattype disclosed in Letters Patent #1,792,090 granted February 10, 1931 toKarl W. Haupt. This heater is particularly adapted to be supported froma ceiling, or other means located in the upper region of the space to beheated, by ties engaging the hangers 10. A

1 heat-giving medium such as steam or hot water is delivered to a headerfor circulation through a series of finned tubes which constitute aradiator 12 extending vertically across the horizontal passage throughthe heater. At the entrance to this passage is a fan 14 for driving airthrough the radiator. Ordinarily this air would leave the heater in ahorizontal direction and immediately begin to rise since it is of courselighter than the atmosphere into which it is driven. As a consequencethe lower region, which is the particular space normally occupied byhumans, is the last to be heated. Since this lower portion is always thecoolest due to natural circulation. it would be preferable to direct theheated air into this lower region initially for by so doing the afore- 5said natural circulation would then assist rather than hinder a generaldiifusion of the heated air.

To accomplish this desired result the invention provides a nozzle at thedischarge end of the passage through the heater. This nozzle in 7 theparticular embodiment illustrated comprises a fixed part and a movablepart. The former has a flat horizontal underlip 16 which extends forwardand slightly downward and at its side edges are upstanding verticalflanges 16a This fixed part is secured to the heater casing by screwbolts 16b. The movable part has a horizontal upperlip 18 which extendsforward and in a downward curving direction and at its side edges aredepending vertical flanges 18a which coact g with the fixed upstandingvertical flanges 16a to close the sides of the nozzle. This movable partturns about pivot pins 180 which engage the upper portion of the fixedflanges 16a. Attached to these upstanding side flanges are bolts 20whose shanks project through arcuate slots 18b in the depending sideflanges, there being thumb nuts 22 for clamping the flanges together andthus fastening the upper lip at any desired position. At the upper edgeof the heater casing is a so-called adapter 2 1. This has a forwardlyextending lip 24a which underlies the rear upper edge of the movablelip, being pressed gently against the latter by its own resiliency. Asthe upper or movable lip is adjusted the space between its rear edge andthe heater casing is always closed by the adapter thus preventing anyloss of the heated air through this space.

When first starting the heater, say in the morning, for bringing thespace to be heated up to working temperature, the upper lip 18 would beadjusted to its lowermost position as seen in Figures 3 and 5. Thiswould have a triple effeet on the heated air. First it would direct theair downward directly into the cooler region and thus enable this regionto gain the full and direct benefit of the hot air. Second, it wouldnarrow the outlet for the heated air and thus cause the air streainto bemore concentrated. This in itself would compel the heated air topenetrate the atmosphere of the lower region and thus induce delivery ofthe heated air at a low level. But this result is insured by the thirdeffect produced by the nozzle, namely the increase of the velocity ofthe discharging air. Since the fan may be deemed to rotate at a constantspeed and cause a definite quantity of air to pass through the heater itfollows that if this quantity is forced to pass out through a smaller orrestricted outlet, as is the case when the nozzle is closed, it willnecessarily flow through this outlet at a higher velocity than it wouldif the outlet were wide-open.

Accordingly then the nozzle not only directs the heated air to the lowerregions but causes it to pursue its course of travel at a highervelocity and initially in a more concentrated stream. It has been notedin practice that with the nozzle closed the hot air current will travelclear to the floor and thence continue along the floor for anappreciable distance. Obviously this propagation of the hot air to thelowermost portion of the space to be heated results in a very promptheating of the space as a whole for once the air is delivered to thelower levels its natural tendency to rise soon effects its diffusionthroughout the entire space.

As the temperature of the atmosphere generally rises the upper lip canbe raised to any degree within its range, thus allowing the heated airto leave the heater in a more elevated direction and in a lessconcentrated stream at reduced velocity. Thus, in the particular exampledescribed, it is possible to control the heating effect by adjustment ofthe nozzle alone. Other examples will readily occur to ones mind wherethe control of the heater discharge as herein provided for can beemployed to advantage. One such is where a large door, a garage door, isbeing frequently opened. With a heater placed above the top level of thedoor and its discharge directed downward toward the door opening by themeans herein described, the ingress of cold air is greatly prevented andsuch as does enter and tends to flow along the floor is at once met bythe concentrated hot air current and promptly heated.

I claim:

1. The combination in an air distributor for unit heaters having meansfor driving air therethrough, of a nozzle on the discharge side of saidheater having a fixed lip attached to one edge of the heater opening; acurved lip pivotably attached to the opposite edge of said opening andcapable of being swung to vary the size of the nozzle opening, and anadapter attached to the last mentioned edge of the heater opening formaintaining closed the space between said last mentioned edge and thesaid curved lip.

2. The combination in an air distributor for unit heaters having meansfor driving air therethrough in a generally horizontal direction, ofmeans for simultaneously changing the direction and increasing thevelocity of flow of said air comprising a nozzle on the discharged sideof said heater having a fixed lip comprising a flat bottom portion andupstanding vertical flanges at the side edges thereof and a movable lipcomprising a downward curving horizontal lip and depending verticalflangcs at the side edges thereof arranged to coact with the first saidvertical flanges to close the sides of the nozzle, the said movable lipbeing capable of adjustment toward and from the fixed lip, whereby theopening of said nozzle may be decreased to effect increase in velocityand whereby the discharge may be directed downward in directionapproaching the vertical.

3. The combination in an air distributor for a unit heater having acasing with its discharge opening arranged for horizontal delivery ofthe heated air and means for driving air through said casing at apredetermined velocity, of a nozzle at the discharge end of said casingcomprising a fixed lip extending forward and slightly downward from thelower edge of said casing having upstanding vertical flanges extendingforward from the side edges of said casing and a movable lip pivotallymounted on the said up standing flanges near the upper end and having adownwardicurving lip extending forward from the top edge of said casingand depending side flanges arranged to contact with the said upstandingflanges to close the sides of the nozzle, the said movable lip beingadapted to be set toward said fixed lip to reduce the vertical extent ofthe nozzle opening and thereby increase the velocity of the dischargingair; said movable lip being shaped to cause said discharging air tochange its direction of flow and leave the nozzle in a downwarddirection.

4. The combination in an air distributor for a unit heater having acasing with a vertical opening and means for driving air therethrough ina generally horizontal direction, of a nozzle on the discharge side ofsaid opening forming a cham ber comprising a fixed wall and a movablewall with nozzle opening therebetween; the fixed wall having a flat lipextending forward from. the lower edge of the casing opening andupstanding vertical flanges extending forward from the side edges of thecasing opening; the movable wall having an upper lip extending forwardfrom the upper edge of the casing opening and having depending verticalflanges pivotally mounted on the fixed upstanding vertical flanges andarranged to coact therewith to maintain the sides of said nozzle closed;the said movable wall being rotatable about said pivotal mountings tovary the size of the nozzle opening and thereby change the velocity ofdischarge therethrough and to change the location of the opening withrespect to said chamber whereby the direction of flow is affected; thesaid opening being changed in location and size simultaneously toproduce discharge in a downward direction at increased velocity.

IRA W. KNIGHT.

